


Season 3, Episode 17

by multi_angxls



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Drabble, F/M, drunk! melendaire, fix-it drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:07:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25891825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multi_angxls/pseuds/multi_angxls
Summary: Melendez and Claire’s relationship from 3x17 to 3x20: reimagined.Or in other words, if Claire had agreed to get drinks with Neil in the deleted scene from 3x17, and finally does something while drunk that she doesn’t regret.
Relationships: Claire Browne & Neil Melendez, Claire Browne/Neil Melendez, Melendaire - Relationship
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	Season 3, Episode 17

**Author's Note:**

> I was rewatching that deleted scene they released over and over and it made me angry that they let Dash get in the way so I made a little fix-it drabble hehe

“You want to grab a celebratory coffee? Or, we could go real crazy and get a real drink.” 

Neil knows he’s being impulsive when he asks Claire for a coffee. He’s taking an even bigger risk when he suggests getting a drink. Getting drinks has such a double entendre to it. Normally, he’d be hesitant to ask. He still is, if he’s being honest, but they had a big victory today. It had put him in a good mood, something which they both know doesn’t last long in their line of work. He just really wants to be around her, truth be told. So he’d thrown caution to the wind and asked her. 

He’s not asking her on a _date_. He doesn’t think it is, at least. Except now, when he remembers how he had sat in the locker room earlier that day and told Claire how she deserves to be happy, he’s not so sure. Friends can get drinks together, he knows that much, but the idea of it leading to other things lurks in the back of his mind and he doesn’t hate it. 

“I’d love to,” she starts, “but I called Dash. We’re having dinner.” 

Neil feels his lips purse and he hates it. It’s stupid, really. He knows it was bound to happen. That sooner or later, one of them would start dating someone and it would cut into the amount of time they were able to spend together. That mere hours ago he was encouraging her to accept Dash’s offer. Logically, he knows it’s none of his business anyway, who she dates. It still doesn’t stop his stomach from getting all twisted in knots. It’s like he never even has time to figure out his feelings before she’s moving on with someone else. It sucks. “That’s-...” _Stupid. Don’t go with him, come with me._ “That’s great. Good for you.” He manages to utter the smallest of congratulations. Whatever. He shouldn’t be so caught up on this. It’s not fair to her to be bothered by her being with another guy if he himself can’t even muster up the courage to say why. Then, she’s smiling warmly and saying “I’ll see you tomorrow” as her hair flows in the wind and it hurts all over again. 

After she turns to leave, there’s nothing much else he can do but sigh and walk to his car. Reluctantly, after his eyes linger on her walking away for longer than they should, he turns his back on her, his steps feeling heavier than usual. He wonders how long it will take for him to get over his stupid jealousy. 

He feels a hand tapping at his shoulder and turns around. It’s Claire, her hair still blowing in the wind. She takes a deep breath in as if building up the courage to do something, and before he even has the chance to open his mouth, asks him, “How about that drink?” 

Neil doesn’t know what to say at first. The look on his face is confused but still very much excited and he replies, “I thought you had a date with Dash.”

“Ok, I never said it was a date,” she protests, laughing slightly. He decides immediately that he loves seeing her laugh. “and I changed my mind. We had a good day today, we should celebrate, right?” She’s looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to agree. 

“Right.” It comes out hesitant, as though he doesn’t quite believe her reasoning behind ditching Dash, but he lets it slide. All that matters is that she’s coming. Later, when he’s half drunk and exhausted from all the hard work, he’ll ask her why she really agreed to drinks with him. For now though, he just smiles and nods. His attempts to stay cool and not let on how happy he is fails. He’s just really glad she said yes. 

The bar they choose isn’t too fancy. There’s music playing and the bar is covered in something sticky as they order drinks. He holds up his drink as soon as the bartender passes it to him. “Cheers.” 

“Cheers,” is all she says before taking a sip of hers. 

Neil decides to go along with the night’s theme of impulsive decisions again and get to the bottom of what he really wants to know. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” 

Claire seems confused only for a moment before replying, “Go ahead.” 

“Why’d you really change your mind?” 

Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to ask her that question, and she pauses to think about it for a moment. “I don’t know. I just… I feel like myself around you. It makes me happy.” 

Neil smiles and, feeling on top of the world from this new development between them, risks it again by taking it one step further. “ _You_ make me happy too.” He’s half expecting her to get freaked out and run off, and he’s happily surprised when she doesn’t. They clink their glasses together before taking another sip of their drinks as Neil’s heart pounds in his chest like an alarm. They keep talking for an hour or so. Claire says she’s going to outrun him the next time they’re on the track and Neil laughs which makes her all the more determined to beat him. She teases him about how he cheats, he replies that he prefers to think of it as adapting, and eventually they get tired of the playful bickering, so conversation just leads elsewhere. 

One hour passes by in a blur and quickly becomes two. Even though they started out with very light drinks, they gradually work their way up to stronger drinks until soon enough, they’re drunk. And, ok. It’s not the kind of hammered that gets you kicked out of the bar. They’re laughing gets a lot more frequent and unnecessarily loud, but nothing worse than that. It’s nothing ridiculous, but they’re still drunk enough to start being less careful than they normally are around each other. Granted, neither of them are _emotionally_ guarded around each other. But physically? They’re pretty reserved when it comes to that. It’s not like Neil doesn’t want to reach out and hold her hand whenever they leave the track, or to hug her on the rare occasion where she gets a strike in bowling, but they both know better than to cross that boundary. And Neil knows (when he’s sober, at least) that once they start crossing those lines, those sweet, thin lines protecting them from each other, they won’t be able to stop.

Maybe it was a mistake letting themselves get this drunk though, because now those lines slowly start to fade. Claire pushes his shoulder gently with her hand when she laughs at his teasing, he’s instinctively leaning in without meaning to, Neil’s knee feels hot at the spot that’s brushing up against hers. It’s getting more and more personal. He’s more than fine with it as long as she is. And she seems to be more than okay with it. She’s talking and laughing, more relaxed than he’s seen her in a while. There’s that look in her eyes, that blazing look of wonder and happiness. Of excitement. And, god. Neil knows in that moment that he’d give anything for her to always look at him like that. He loves it. 

They decide to call it a night after a while. Neil asks for their spearate bills and Claire groans when she looks at the total. “Ugh, I should _not_ be breaking my bank account like this,” she snorts. 

“Hey, you’re the one who suggested we do shots.” They pay for their drinks and clumsily stumble out of their seats. Neil thinks long and hard as they walk out of the bar about why she’s brushing her hair back out of her face and giving him that same intense, blazing look. “Here’s what I don’t understand,” he starts as he’s holding the door open for her. “You said you don’t trust yourself not to hurt someone you care about. But you’re here with me and I’m not hurt. And you don’t- you don’t seem scared.” He says it like he’s just realizing it himself. “You seem more… yourself. Relaxed. I don’t know, I know it’s not the same type of caring about someone but… well, is there really that much to be worried about?”

Claire’s breath sounds shaky as she replies, “You’re right. Maybe there isn’t.” They’re on the sidewalk now. The only source of light present is the soft yellow glow from the lamp posts outside in the dark as Claire pulls him in by the collar of his coat and kisses him. Her lips feel hot against his. She tastes like tequila and heaven. It hits him that he’s kissing her for the first time ever, and that he loves it, but he hardly has time to react before the short-lived moment is over and she pulls away. 

“I- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just what you said- and we’re both drunk- that was clearly a mistake, I-” She’s stuttering but she falls silent and just looks at him. That blazing look in her eyes is replaced with worry. And, ok look: he’s drunk and he knows it. And so is she. But he’d be lying if he said he hasn’t been wanting to do that for a long time. In fact, he wants to do it again. 

He pauses, the silence between them tense and thick, before saying, “Let’s keep making mistakes then.” The smile on her face only lasts a moment before he crashes his lips against hers again. This time, Neil knows how to react. His hands are on her hips and he pulls her in until they’re flush against each other. Her hands find the sides of his face and her tongue swipes the inside of his cheek.

It doesn’t take long for them to head back to Neil’s place. It’s only a few blocks away so they walk. It’s very distracting, having her kissing at his neck while he tries to get his keys and unlock the door. They stumble through the door and it makes Neil laugh, but Claire is too focused to laugh as she unbuttons his shirt and belt as fast as she can. Their kisses are heated and messy. Melendez picks Claire up and her legs wrap around his waist. As they crash into the bedroom, Claire falls back onto the bed and pulls Neil down on top of her to kiss at her neck. 

Belts and bras are unhooked and shirts are thrown off. Neil takes in all the new exposed flesh with a glance and all he can say is, “Wow,” before his hands are all over her: her hips, her breasts, her thighs. His lips kiss wherever they can, and Claire’s breathing gets heavy and loud. 

She brings his head back up from kissing at her breasts and kisses him hard. When she pulls away all she can do is look down to where his underwear used to be. He’s hard for her and she knows it, loves it, and looks back up at him expectantly. 

They’re a little drunk. They’re being reckless and impulsive. Neil knows it’s insane, how fast it’s all going. In the morning they’ll deal with the aftermath of it all, but right now they’re just desparate to cross that line and to never go back. So just to be sure, Neil asks one more time. “Are you sure?” 

“Yes. I want this,” Claire replies. She nods, and the rest is a blur of skin and strokes and moans. He move swiftly in and out of her and her legs get weak and they both let out variations of, “More, more, oh god yes!” They keep going for hours until they tire out and crash. Claire falls asleep with her head on his chest with nothing but the sheets separating their bare skin. 

The line is officially crossed and there’s no going back. Neil loves it, how they’ve reached the point of no return. He wonders how he could forget so quickly what it was like before, sleeping in his bed without Claire in his arms.

* * *

The next morning feels awkward. Claire wakes up just before Neil does and is already putting her thong and bra back on when Neil becomes awake enough to realize she’s not sleeping next to him anymore. 

He’s soaking everything in from last night. The talking, the kiss, the sex. It’s a lot. It’s amazing, but it’s a lot. His brain is working so hard to figure it all out. Then the hangover hits him and he remembers why. The throbbing in his head is loud and everything seems a little too bright. 

“Hi.” Claire is standing up and steps back a little, nervous like a deer in headlights when she realizes he’s awake. 

“Hi,” he replies. He’s rubbing at his eyes and groaning at the bright lights. The hangover hits him like a bitch. 

“I- I went ahead and made coffee,” she replied. It gives them an easy out, something to talk about to avoid the subject that has to come around eventually. She sips from the mug and hands it to him. 

“Thank you.” He takes a drink from it without thinking about it, like it’s just second nature for them to share coffee. She realizes that it’s a new sort of intimacy, however, and looks away blushing. 

“I, uh… I should get going soon. Have to get a change of clothes before going to work.” The way she says it is tense and awkward without it really meaning to be. She’s on the edge of the bed putting her skirt back on and looking at his arm stretched out right next to her. 

He sits up in his bed and puts the mug of coffee down. “Do you… do you want to talk about it at all?” 

Claire shuts her eyes while sighing. “We don’t have to talk about it. I understand if you regret it, we can just pretend this never happened.” 

Neil doesn’t waste a second before replying, “No, no,” he takes her hands in his while speaking, “I don’t regret anything. Do… do you?” 

“No.” Her voice comes out small but decided. “For the first time in a long time, I don’t regret a thing.” Neil suddenly remembers Claire’s grief streak of hooking up with untrustworthy guys. It makes everything from last night all the more meaningful, and Neil’s relieved that she doesn’t regret it. That she really does care about him. 

“I’m glad.” Their smiles are both bright and genuine. 

“Although,” she starts again, “It might have to happen again. Just to jog my memory.” Her flirting isn’t lost on Neil, and he raises an eyebrow. 

“I’m not opposed to that.” It only takes one glance from her before he’s leaning in and kissing her. She hums joyfully against his lips, and he decides that kissing her is even better when he’s sober. 

Claire leaves soon after that. Neil gets dressed, can’t find his dress shirt from the other night even after looking through the whole trail of clothing they’d left from the front door to the bed. He shakes it off and figures he’ll find it later. He’s still smiling like an idiot from the talk he’d had with Claire, and he hops off the elevator into the ER only to see Claire there, wearing his dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, eager to work. It takes him by surprise so much that he coughs and struggles to keep his cool. He didn’t think she could get any hotter after everything they did last night but she’s standing there clearly proving him wrong. The smile she throws at him is restrained but sly, and Neil can tell that she’ll be coming over again that night.

He isn’t able to think about anything else the entire day. 


End file.
